Rey's Decision
by reylolove44
Summary: Alternative scene between Rey and Kylo Ren when they touched hands in 'The Last Jedi.'


Rey was distraught from what she found in the cave. She thought she would find answers there and was saddened to find that she was mistaken. She did have some hope when she saw a dark figure on the other side of the cave mirror. For a moment Rey thought it looked like the outline of Kylo Ren. But it passed quickly as the mirror showed Rey just her own reflection.  
As she walked back to her hut, she could feel his presence. It soothed her and she welcomed the calm she felt with him standing there, even though he was lightyears away. Rey turned to take in the full picture of Kylo Ren. Just an hour ago she had seen him without his shirt, which shocked her to her core, but not in the way she had thought. Seeing him so vulnerable made her question everything she thought about him. Now that he was standing before her, all she could think about was how good it felt having him here with her.  
Kylo stepped closer to Rey and sat down with her on her makeshift bed. He said nothing, but looked at her with a longing that he had never felt for anyone before. He was cautious not to sit too close to her for fear that she would react violently towards him. But he still wanted her to know, even without words, that he was with her and there for took a deep breath and looked deep into Kylo's eyes.  
"When I went to the cave, I thought I would find out who my parents are...who I am...I was wrong. I've never felt so alone," Rey confessed, tears starting to stream down her gentle face. Kylo was taken aback by this sudden tenderness Rey was expressing and how honest she was with him. In this moment he fought to reach out and wrap his arms around her to keep her safe, keep her close. He didn't want to make any mistakes that would ruin what he felt in this moment.  
"You're not alone," he responded almost as a whisper. Rey looked at Kylo and felt a surge of warmth through her body. Those words seemed to envelope her in an understanding that was unknown to everyone except for her and Kylo. She never thought she would see this side of him. Ben Solo was with her now, not Kylo Ren. She gazed deeply into his eyes, listening to her beating heart that was thumping wildly against her chest.  
"Neither are you," she replied. It seemed like time stopped completely as Rey and Ben gazed at each other. Rey's response had caused Ben to release a subtle sigh, which made her eyes smile. Ben stared longingly at Rey, hoping he could convey what he was feeling about what she had said, what she meant to him. He knew that they did not start off on the best of terms. But he knew from the moment he met her back in the forest of Takodana that she would change his life, that she would be important to him in some way. He had no idea that this scavenger from Jakku would be important to him emotionally.  
Without breaking eye contact, Rey slowly extended her hand towards Ben. She did not want to frighten him away because his presence was still so soothing to her. Slowly she pushed her hand towards him and then stopped to see how he would respond. Ben looked down at her hand and then looked back into the eyes of the only person in the world he has ever connected with. He took off one of his gloves to reveal his bare hand. His eyes stayed locked onto Rey's as he slowly extended his hand to her hand. Rey didn't move and let Ben come to her, feeling her heart race as his hand grew closer and closer to her own. His hand was just about to touch hers and Rey kept her eyes locked onto his. She could see a slight smile playing on his lips as his hand finally connected with hers.  
Both Ben and Rey deeply inhaled from what they felt as their hands touched. It felt as though everything was right in the galaxy. A surge of energy seemed to flow from Rey's hand into Ben's hand back and forth without anything stopping it. Rey gave a small smile and Ben's smile grew, both feeling at peace for the first time for what seemed like a long time. Without breaking their connection, Rey began to shift closer to Ben as he moved closer to her. With their hands clasped together, they were now face to face with nothing but air between them.  
Ben looked down into Rey's deep brown eyes, knowing that his feelings for her could no longer be ignored. He was in love with this beautiful scavenger that captured his heart from when he first set eyes on her. And now he was close enough to truly show her what she meant to him. He looked down towards her slightly parted lips and angled his head slowly so he could lay his forehead against hers. He was pleased to see that she did not pull away from him and seemed to actually welcome his gentle act.  
Rey felt as if her heart would burst out of her chest from what she was feeling. She had denied the feelings she felt towards him when she first met Ben. She would not let herself fall for a monster. But within these past few days with him, she saw past Kylo Ren and saw Ben Solo, the true person who was with her now and who she was deeply in love with.  
With her free hand, Rey reached up and gently touched his cheek, her thumb tracing along his scar that seemed to be healing. She blushed at the thought of the scar and felt badly about giving it to him. Yes, it was out of self defense. But she regretted hurting him so. As she continued to trace his scar, her hand found its way to his lips. He brushed a light kiss against the palm of her hand, which made her shudder with glee. Ben smiled and raised his free hand and caressed Rey's face lovingly, soaking in every detail of the perfection he always saw in her.  
His smile was too much for Rey to handle. No one had ever looked at her like that before and it made her stomach flutter with delight. She smiled and leaned up closer to him, pressing her lips to his tenderly. Ben accepted the kiss and pressed his lips deeper into hers. His heart and mind were racing and he felt overwhelmed by what he was feeling. But Ben wouldn't have traded it for anything in the whole galaxy. He knew in this moment he would do anything for Rey as long as he would be able to show her how much he loved her.  
Rey deepened the kiss further and reached her hand from Ben's cheek into his wavy, black hair. Her other hand followed suit so both hands were wrapped in his hair. When Ben felt her hand in his locks, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Their lips moved against each other in sync and they only broke apart for quick but heavy breaths to relieve. The moment seemed to last a lifetime. There was so much said in every kiss and touch felt by both Ben and Rey. So much was felt that had been ignored and hidden away for so long. When they finally pulled apart, Rey nuzzled her head into Ben's neck as he pulled her close to him. She could feel his heartbeat thumping and smiled at what had just transpired. Ben placed his head on top of Rey's head and inhaled deeply, feeling at peace for once in his difficult life. Rey reached up and kissed Ben's neck gently which caused him to sigh deeply. She looked into his face and smiled in a way she hadn't in many years.  
"Ben," she breathed. Ben pushed back the hair that had fallen into her face and smiled at her.  
"Rey," he breathed right back.  
They stayed huddled together for a moment longer before Luke Skywalker burst into the hut. He looked around as if something were amiss before his eyes finally landed on Rey.  
"Are you alright? I sensed a great fluctuation in the Force," Luke asked. Rey looked to her side and saw that Ben Solo had disappeared, meaning their connection was paused for the time being.  
"It's nothing, it was just a dream," Rey replied. She watched as the great Jedi Master left and smiled to herself. She could still feel Ben's arms around her as well as his lips on hers. Although she knew he was still with the First Order, she believed in her heart that she truly saw Ben Solo for who he is and believed she could bring him back to the light and back to her. With her mind made up, she packed her things and made her way to the Millennium Falcon. Her plan was made. She was going to bring Ben Solo back to the light in order to shift the tide and win the war across the galaxy. 


End file.
